New Interconnection Agreement Between TVL and DIGICEL

It is a requirement under Section 26 the Telecommunications and Radiocommunications Regulation Act that service providers enter into interconnection agreements in order to allow them to access to the other’s network.

Since the liberalization of the telecommunications market in 2008, Telecom Vanuatu Limited (TVL) and Digicel (Vanuatu) Limited are the two major service providers that are providing telecommunications services and for which an interconnection agreement between them is essential for fair competition to occur.

An Interim Interconnection Agreement between TVL and Digicel was signed for the period 25 June 2008 -25 June 2010. That was replaced by an Interconnection Agreement between TVL and Digicel which was negotiated and executed on 8 June 2012. This interconnection agreement became effective as of 26 June 2012 and will expire on 26 June 2016.

On 1st of April 2014, the two operators negotiated and executed a new interconnection agreement, without referral to Telecommunications Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulator (TRBR), and that is now in force. The agreement was then amended on 16th July 2014.